A Bathing Ape hooks up with Pepsi for crossover marketing in subbrand launch

A Maxus spokesperson told Campaign Asia-Pacific that Pepsi and A Bathing Ape had a crossover project in 2001 that generated "massive attention and positive feedback", paving the way for this project. The partnership makes sense as Pepsi and AAPE both target young poeple and champion pop culture, urban street fashion, initiation and innovation, the spokesperson added.

The campaign includes two co-branded, special-edition cans and a series of limited premiums, including umbrellas, notebooks, and T-shirts.

To ride on this crossover project, the pair of companies will have exclusive retail promotions including in Circle K convenience stores, as well as support from print advertising. A cover story in Milk Magazine is showcasing the concept behind the campaign, and awareness will also be accomplished through features on the new brand in fashion magazines, social media activity, fashion blogs and websites.

The campaign is running in Hong Kong and China, but the packaging design is slightly different and the promotion mechanics are not the same.

A Bathing Ape, founded by Nigo in 1993, offers men's, women's and kids' lifestyle and street wear, running 19 stores in Japan. It also has stores in Hong Kong, London, New York, Taipei, Paris, Shanghai, Beijing, Seoul and Singapore.